In large part, that is because most countries have until recently controlled their telephone industries through state-owned monopolies.

Provision of telecommunications services is left to a state-owned monopoly.

Some economists, even in Poland, are saying it would be better to end state-owned monopolies and create competition before freeing prices.

Nor did the company's 45-year reign as a state-owned monopoly.

There are enough people trained to service Xerox copiers in the country: 45 work for the two state-owned monopolies.

That means breaking up and selling off the state-owned monopolies.

In 2007 licensed operators other than Eircom, the former state-owned monopoly, accounted for 32% of the market.

The company was formerly a state-owned monopoly, but is now divided into largely autonomous provincial branches.

Once a state-owned monopoly, the company began the transition to private hands in 1993.

We must change the old system of state-owned monopolies with great privileges and no interoperability.